Beer: Reviews & Ratings

02/25/13 On tap at Rattle n Hum, NYC. Nice to see so many 'polite' brews around. More coffee fragrance than taste but that goes with the unobtrusive nature herein. Lamenting it's a "brewed once" item. (200 characters)

"We worked with our friends at Equal Exchange to brew this English style Porter. Specialty malts provide caramel and dark chocolate notes and a sweet, smooth body, while coffee beans grown in the Mexican El Triunfo biosphere yield roasted, bittersweet notes that complement the malty sweetness. The result is a balanced beer that showcases the flavors and aroma of both beer and coffee - a fitting equal exchange." Brewed in the style of an English Porter with coffee beans added. Entry number 44 in the 100 Barrel Series collection, released as a one off in 22 oz. bottles and on limited draft.

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle to a pint glass. Served above 57º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a mocha cream head of a frothy, foamy consistency over a deep cola brown body with very high clarity. Carbonation is moderate and relaxed. Retention is very good, lacing is light and streaked. 4.5

(Smell) The malt bill presents hints of cold roast malt, earthy chocolate malts, light caramel grain syrup with a mild acidity. Earthy hops are very mild in the aroma, generating more earthy, floral bitterness than aroma. Coffee is difficult to distinguish from the other aromas at this stage but may contribute somewhat to the roast aromas and acidity that this beer has. Potency is medium. 3.75

(Taste) Roasted malts, very light caramel grain and a mild pale sweetness build the malt bill, paired with subtle herbal and floral hop notes, before concluding with a lightly roasted coffee ground impact for a slightly earthy and acidic finish. Expect subtle notes of both cocoa and vanilla for subtle character undertones. Better presented in the flavor than in the aroma, highly drinkable yet fairly light. Don't expect an extraordinary level of roast nor an overly bold coffee presentation. 4

(Mouthfeel) Texture is smooth, slightly chewy and a touch oily. Carbonation generates a soft mouthfeel for a slightly fuller body but a soft, under-carbonated mouthfeel. Body is shy of medium for the style and medium+ overall. Balance is slightly earthy bitter and roasty over sweet. Alcohol presence is low and there are no notable off-flavors. 3.5

(Overall) A simple but enjoyable coffee porter that does a nice job of balancing drinkability with the flavor profile of a moderately roasted coffee bean. As per the style, it's very highly drinkable and has a nice balance of earthy roast and acidity to round out the subtlety of the sweetness from the light notes of vanilla and chocolate malt as well as the subtle caramel malt base. The coffee beans are well implemented into the flavor, rounding out a distinctively tasty and very drinkable coffee porter. El Triunfo is one of my more enjoyable 100 Barrel Series entries as of late, even if it isn't a knockout porter, it's a very decent effort. 3.75

Much thinner in flavor. Dampened by some age, the malts are bland and a bit dirty. The coffee is weaker, and seemingly has grit. This is not composed anymore. A porter, unraveled.

Medium body and medium-soft carbonation. Could use a little more air to elevate the feel.

I wish this could've held up. Not sure about the initial release date, but it couldn't have been that recent. This might be marvelous when fresh. Extra quarter of a point for what I don't know. (804 characters)

I ordered this at a small tapas restaurant in Dover, DE. When I say the mouthfeel was "perfect" I note it was not typical for a porter (large bubbled, slightly watery finish) but more of a stout.

The 12 oz. pilsner glass was gone quickly, especially after my wife and daughter each snuck a taste. I eagerly ordered another.

The bartender turned to the tap and started to pull my beer. All of a sudden, he stopped after perhaps 3 oz. The keg was empty.

Dismayed, I ordered something else. He set the 3 oz. glass aside. I was going to ask him for it, but it quickly dissappeared. The SOB drank it himself!

My search for a perfect beer continues! This was probably the last glass of Harpoon's coffee porter in existence.

To clear up what one reviewer said--referring to this as a wintry brew--that is not the case. Porters were traditionally brewed for working class consumption, while on the job, year around. That is why their ABV is always a bit low. (1,024 characters)

This pours a pitch black with a tan colored head about 2" thick and it disappears pretty quickly but laces decently. I smell a lot of coffee when I take a whiff - high quality beans. A little bit of chocolate is there in the background. Not surprisingly, coffee is the predominant flavour - roasty and slightly chocolaty as well. I'm surprised at how smooth this goes down. The coffee is not too bitter and the beer is not overly sweet which is a nice quality. Not overly complex, but It's much more crisp and refreshing than a lot of other beers of this style. (589 characters)

An uncharacteristically cold and wet Memorial Day weekend provided a good opportunity to finally sample this "wintry" offering (this being a limited release available during the winter months). I poured my sample into a Harpoon IPA glass. Light lacing and a head that dissipated quickly. Soft aromas of chocolate, caramel, and vanilla. Not as much coffee smell as I would have expected. Very easy drinking with fairly heavy carbonation. Smooth. Caramel, light chocolate, and toffee highlights. The coffee comes more to the fore as the beer warms. The 28 I.B.U. rating seems right on the mark. Nicely done. (605 characters)

22oz bottle from Harpoon's 100 Barrel Series, served in imperial pint glass. Beer pours dark brown to black with a thin, bubbly head. Aroma is surprisingly malty, as much brown ale as porter, and not at all the morning cup of coffee that coffee and espresso porters tend to be. Flavor features a solid porter body with coffee in equal balance flavoring and bittering vessel. The label reveals only 28 IBUs; the rest of the dryness must come from the coffee. Tertiary flavors of chocolate and toasted barley.

Interesting in that it's unique among the coffee beers I've tasted, if not as flavorful. Still, a great concept and execution, definitely worth trying while it's available. (681 characters)

So I have been collectin gthese for a wile now and have quite a few. I hope to get them all, but I am sure I wont be able to since some are probably not in circulation anymore. I felt this had great flavor, it was not overpowering with coffee, just the right amont with a good strong porter taste. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good porter. (356 characters)

Pours an opaque, dark chestnut brown color with a two finger beige head that has very good retention, only slowly settling into a lasting cap/ring. Streaks of soapy lace left being.

Rich and robust malt aroma with a strong roasted coffee presence along with silky chocolate, caramel, toffee and hazelnut. Also a bit nutty with a subtle lactic presence. Smells like gourmet roasted coffee in beer form.

On the lighter end of medium body and sligtly watered down with a deeply roasted malt and coffee presence that lingers throughout. Slightly burnt and acrid with stale coffee/espresso bean, dark chocolate, oatmeal and burnt toast. Not as complex as the nose suggests. Creaminess, sweetness and nutty flavors found in the aroma are lacking. Not terrible but one dimensional and too light for the style. (865 characters)

Pours a medium of the colored brown body. There's a nice tan capped head, some nice lacing and some nice density.

Coffee....really this is coffee. There's some nice caramel, vanilla, caramel light aromas here. Nothing is dark and over roasted, but that's what a porter gives you.

Caramel, vanilla, and just a long long lingering medium roast coffee flavor. This is a bit watery for so much coffee.

Maybe it is just me, but if you put a beer in a bomber and charge 4+ (I think this was 4.99 or 5.99) a single bottle, it is supposed to be BIG. This is the kind of beer you expect in a 10 dollar 6 pack based on this feel.

As I just said, over priced and under whelming. Still if you want something relatively light with a lot of coffee flavor this is a great option. (772 characters)

S-A focused aroma of sweetened coffee. Luke warm medium-roast coffee with a generous dosage of cream and sugar. Milk chocolate dances around the java. This beer nails its intended target.

T-The flavor is even better. Such a pinpoint coffee flavor. Espresso! Choco-undertones. Dried coffee beans usher in a wave of delectable sweetness. The first few seconds of this beer are blissful. El Triunfo is devoid of that unpleasant chalky flavor that many Porters display. I know I'm repeating myself but this beer really hit its goal here.

A: The beer is nearly jet black in color—bits of reddish amber are visible near the bottom of the glass when it is held up to a bright light. It poured with a finger and a half high dense light tan head that has very good retention properties and consistently left a short head covering the surface.S: There are aromas of coffee beans in the nose along with some faint hints of dark malts.T: The taste is similar to the smell but isn't completely one dimensional with coffee flavors. It's rounded out with some hints of chocolate and roasted malts as well as a light amount of bitterness.M: It feels medium-bodied and a little smooth (and slightly thin) on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.O: If you really like coffee, this is a nice flavorful porter that is also very easy to drink. There's little in the way of roasted malt flavors but the coffee beans have a nice enough taste to make up for this. (923 characters)

Pours a deep chocolate brown color with a tight cream colored head that settles into a light ring. Some amber highlights peek through.

The aroma is of a light freshly ground coffee. Perhaps some woody notes and light caramel but the coffee is forefront. Wish it was a bit stronger.

The taste is of a mild roast base, caramel and some tea and lemon notes; traditional english porter base. The coffee flavor is nice; freshly ground coffee flavor. The coffee really stands out. It could use a touch more sweetness as it dry and a touch bitter from the coffee.

The feel is light to moderate with fizzy carbonation. Quite a dry feel, almost powdery. Bitter in the finish from the coffee. Solid porter body.

I really like the coffee flavor in this porter. However, the beer is screaming for some sweetness, perhaps some oatmeal or lactose. (837 characters)

Appearance: Dark brown, with some light brown clarity around the edges - pours with a nice, light beige head - small, off-white cap - leaves some streaks and spots of lacing

Smell: Coffee, more specifically iced coffee - honestly, this smells like a great bag of coffee beans - roasty, not particularly burnt - some chocolate, some caramel, maybe even some vanilla - remarkably charming

Taste: Follows the aroma - in other words, this tastes like coffee - coffee, with a teaspoon of sugar, more realistically - nicely roasty, with some caramel and toasty malts - nice level of burnt sugar sweetness - again, did I mention this tastes like coffee?

This reminds me of Surly Coffee Bender. And this is a very good thing, since that is one of my favorite coffee beers. This is truly an impressive brew from Harpoon. Shame it will only be brewed once, and it's not in tallboys... (1,022 characters)

A - sparkly shiny black with over two fingers of than foamy head, takes two pours to fill my tulip, head fades slowly and has goo retention as itrings

S - now this is how a coffee porter/stout should smell, distinct fresh ground coffee aromas hit the nose first, quickly followed by some cocoa powder for a nice chocolate sweetness, wrapped up with some roasted malts, perfect for this snow day

T - the chocolate steps up in the taste, competes with the coffee in a great way, my taste buds love being fought over, some dark plum like fruits crop up in the malty finish for a great combination

Had on tap at new Harpoon brewery site. Very dark beer with very little head and little lacing. Nie balanced coffee taste with dencent carbonation and aftertaste. Have had better types of this style, but a decent beer that I would have one of now and then (255 characters)

Strong coffee taste and aroma this porter stands tall. To those of you who have acquired this brew my suggestion is not to drink it on an evening where you will have to get up the next morning. This brew has major coffee and kept me up all night lol! worth the time seeking out and worth drinking. Pours very dark with a small head.

Flavor is coffee, chocolate, roasted malts, caramel, toffee, a bit astringent, mild sweetness, mild bitterness, mild alcohol. Good Porter, but not as robust as others on the market these days.

Mouthfeel is medium-plus bodied, creamy, soft carbonation.

Pretty good coffee Porter. I’m a little spoiled here lately with some of the bigger coffee Stouts such as WnB & FBS, but this one is nice for something a little lighter in body and lower in alcohol, but with a good coffee aroma and flavor. (855 characters)

This is a really very delicious porter. The coffee flavor is intense but balanced. There is also a strong chocolate presence which offers a little sweetness. This is an all around sound, balanced, and highly drinkable beer. It is definitely worth a try. (503 characters)

Pours a dark chestnut brown, clear, with hints of orange. Light penetrates the edges. Small tan head has very little retention.Smell is heavily roasted malt, coffee and a whiff of caramel.Taste is toasty malt, robust coffee, some caramel and toffee. Some chocolate shows in the aftertaste but none of the floral notes the label promises.The medium plus body is a bit watery during the swallow. Effervescence is light and a bit tingly. Warming with a hint of dryness. Overall, a good brew but since the label says its a robust porter I would like a bit more body. (565 characters)